Mobile World Congress calls on Barcelona to restore its confidence

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01 February 2018 03:02 PM

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Alex Rolandi | Barcelona

The president of GSMA, John Hoffman, called on Barcelona to restore its confidence in the light of recent events both on a local and global level. GSMA is the organization behind the Mobile World Congress, which has converted the city into the capital of the mobile world for the last several years.

“There’s a mini crisis of confidence that exists,” he said, “with all the distractions going on here and around the world. Maybe you began to lose a little bit of your confidence. The noises started tearing at the fabric of what made you so great.”

In a motivational speech directed at the Catalan capital, made at the event ‘Barcelona, always connected’, Hoffman used various metaphors to get his point across, explaining the current situation and its effect on Barcelona.

Gaining momentum

“In sports, they call it momentum. When you have momentum on your side you can beat anyone,” he philosophized. But, if “confidence wanes,” he said, “possibly the death spiral can start. But it won’t it, because you wont let it.”

“You’re gaining that old momentum, and becoming who and what you really are,” he went on to say.He stated that this was the reason why they were there today, calling GSMA and Barcelona partners, asserting that “partners help each other.”

Barcelona, mobile world capital

Hoffman said he knows why “GSMA is here, why the mobile world capital is here, why the Mobile World Congress is here.”

Referring to the mutual help between both the city and organization, he asserted that it is “not only the right thing to do, but the only thing to do.”

Looking to the future

For her part, the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, maintained how she intends to turn Barcelona into a hub for 5G technology, the next phase in the mobile evolution.

Colau stated that she considers Barcelona to be “well-placed” in order to put in motion “changes to the paradigm” of society.

Bigger and better

This year’s Mobile World Congress is expected to be the best yet, according to organizers, with attendance surpassing the 108,000 of 2017.

Among the latest innovations expected to be showcased, artificial intelligence, solar-powered drones, and how technology can help the world, will play a key role.